Today is your last chance to get free job hunting advice from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement and human resources firm that is offering the services as part of its 26th annual free call-in days.

Job seekers can call 312-422-5010 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today to speak with a Challenger staff member. As an outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas' services, which include job-search training and transition counseling to individuals who have been laid off, are typically only available to those who receive the benefits from their former employer. This is the only time of the year the public has the opportunity to avail themselves of the company's assistance. And the advice isn't just for the unemployed: people who are considering a career change are also welcome to call in.

Despite the improvement in the labor market, their services are still sorely needed. The company also tracks planned job cuts announced by companies, and its internal tracking shows 2011 activity is up slightly from 2010 but still below the recession levels. Through the end of November, employers have announced 564,297 planned job cuts, compared to 497,969 over the same period in 2010. In contrast, employers announced 1,242,936 by November 2009.

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